The Oscars to Depart Broadcast TV and Broadcast Live on the Video Platform Starting in the Year 2029.
The Academy Awards will commence streaming exclusively on the global video platform in the year 2029, signaling the newest major shift in Hollywood.
The organization behind the Oscars made the announcement on Wednesday, confirming that it finalized a long-term agreement giving YouTube the exclusive global rights to the Oscars until 2033.
The awards show, set for 15 March, has aired for a half a century on the traditional network. Starting in 2029, the ceremony will be available as a free live stream on YouTube.
It's one more major restructuring in the entertainment world, which is grappling with corporate acquisitions and consolidations, in addition to steep reductions in filming.
"Our Academy represents an international organization, and this partnership will permit us to expand access to the activities of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible - which will be advantageous for our film artists and the cinematic world," remarked Academy leadership in a statement.
For many years, ratings of the televised event have dropped, even if there was a small rise in 2025, with a notable portion of younger viewers watching from mobile devices and desktops.
In a separate statement, YouTube's CEO referred to the Oscars "among our vital pillars of culture" and noted that partnering with the Academy would "spark a new generation of artistic expression and film lovers while adhering to the Oscars' storied history".
The broadcast network, which has televised the ceremony since 1976, stated that it was eagerly anticipating "to the next three telecasts" it will still host.
This decision coincides with major studios deal with challenging merger discussions. Both options were considered problematic for an industry that has experienced severe reductions over the last few years.
Similar to big production houses, traditional TV channels have struggled as the viewers has shifted towards streaming services instead.
YouTube obtaining broadcasting rights to the Oscars further suggests that the dominance of streaming sites will continue expanding.
